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Rakes Report Launches Fifth Christmas Fundraiser

Give generously to South Bend’s Center for the Homeless.

By ndjrs

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Christmas decoration ceramic stars white and blue glazed. different size. as christmas tree shape over blue texture background. Christmas and New year greeting card. Flat lay. space. Photo by: Natasha Breen/REDA&CO/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

A Notre Dame graduate today launched his fifth annual Christmas fundraiser for Center for the Homeless in South Bend.

Chris Wilson ’08 started the Rakes of Mallow Christmas Giving in 2016 to allow dispirited Irish fans to use their cash reserves for karmic cleansing.

It seems to have worked. Wilson has raised $26,369, while the football team has gone 43-6 since.

If you’re unfamiliar with the work of the Center for the Homeless, Executive Director Steve Camilleri provided this explainer to Wilson:

The Center’s mission is to help break the cycle of homelessness, and it’s been such a gift to see people transform their lives and get back on their feet. Like a university, guests that arrive at CFH focus on their “major,” and take classes, programming, and seek the help they need in the area they need it most. As they achieve success in that area, they wrap around other opportunities, much like elective courses, that can be for personal edification, enjoyment or education. All in all, CFH tries to meet the needs of everyone that walks through her doors with dignity and respect. We have found that each guest is a gift and has so much to give, and when you hold a high expectation of them, they rise to the occasion!

While any amount is welcomed, several Notre Dame Fighting Irish football fans have tied donations to certain players or benchmarks.

  • The first year of giving, for example, saw $29 donated “for the next 1,000 yard ND wide receiver — K.J. Stepherson.”
  • In year two, $33 donations were popular because of the #33Trucking Heisman campaign for Josh Adams.
  • In year three, a $23 donation for “the number of curse words my poor mother had to hear during the first half of the USC game.”
  • Last year, a $120 donation represented both “$10 for each of our beloved Canadian Chase’s touchdowns this year” and “a dollar for each of Jim Harbaugh’s victories versus Ohio State.”

Alternatively, you can purchase any T-shirts from the Rakes Report storefront during December — including Bridget Reynolds’ 14 Christmas designs — and the proceeds of those sales will also go to this fundraiser.

Chris’ newsletter — published weekly in season — can be found here.

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